I'm so glad you're here!  I'd love to share with you a little bit about my professional journey and what brought me to Special Education Advocacy.

I first discovered my love of people with disabilities in college while volunteering at Special Olympics.  Every Thursday night, I would go to Special Olympics Bowling to bowl and laugh alongside a wonderful team of people with disabilities and other volunteers.  It didn't take long for me to realize that I wanted to spend the rest of my life making the lives of people with disabilities better.  They brought me so much love and light, and I wanted to return the favor.  This set me on a path that led me to change my focus in school by getting degrees in Human Development and Psychology and pursuing internships and jobs related to Special Education.  I graduated from Virginia Tech (Go Hokies!) in May of 2015 and went straight to Johns Hopkins in the fall to start my masters degree in Early Childhood Special Education.

After my masters, I started teaching Special Education in Fairfax County Public Schools.  Over the six years I taught, I was fortunate enough to work with students with Autism, Learning Disabilities, Emotional Disabilities, Other Health Impairments and Twice Exceptionalities at the elementary level.  I was incredibly passionate about my students' seamless inclusion in their general education classrooms while balancing the support they needed to receive in a small group setting.  I observed and supported my students across all environments to be able to tailor their IEP perfectly to them with detailed and thoughtful goals and accommodations.  I obtained additional trainings in KTEA and MANDT during my time in FCPS.  I did all or a portion of the Education Evaluations for my elementary school over the course of four school years, gaining an understanding of how students are assessed and qualify for Special Education Services and supporting the Local Screening Team through determinations.  I used my MANDT certification to support students in crisis throughout the building over the course of four school years as well, helping to de-escalate students in crisis and learning more about Behavior Intervention Plans and the crisis cycle.  During my time in FCPS, I mentored three novice Special Education Teachers, training them on IEP writing and how to lead IEP meetings.  For the 2022-2023 school year, I was promoted to Department Chair, leading my team of Special Education Teachers and Instructional Assistants and overseeing implementation of IEPs throughout the building.  I was honored to receive the FCPS Outstanding Teacher award for the Marshall Pyramid and be nominated for Northern Virginia Magazine's Teacher of the Year Award during the 2022-2023 school year.

My experience in the world of Special Education has given me the knowledge and skills to be a passionate and driven parent advocate.  I am also a Counsel Of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA) member and have completed their Special Education Advocacy Training (SEAT) 2.0 program.  My specializations include but are not limited to Autism, Learning Disabilities, OHI, Twice Exceptional Students and Transition to Middle School Plans.  One of my biggest strengths is creating a thoughtful and well-written IEP.  I would be honored to get to know your child and you and support in the creation of an intentional plan for your child's success.